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The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire plans to use a $21,000 grant from The Roger R. and Theresa S. Thompson Endowment Fund toward Story Explorers and Big World/Small World programs.

DOVER — The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire plans to use a generous grant to fund two new outreach programs.

The Roger R. and Theresa S. Thompson Endowment Fund awarded the museum with $21,000, which will be put toward Story Explorers and Big World/Small World programs.

“Since its founding nearly 30 years ago, the Children’s Museum has been dedicated to ensuring that all children and families have access to our nationally recognized programming and exhibits,” Justine Roberts, executive director of the museum stated in a public statement. “The Thompson Endowment Fund has provided very generous support to us throughout our history, and we are grateful that they are underwriting Story Explorers and Big World/Small World this year. These programs provide hundreds of young children, families and teachers with dynamic arts and literacy experiences that build skills in reading, writing, creative thinking and more.”

The Story Explorers program provides students and parents with the opportunity to attend three literary sessions at the museum, led by educators, to promote a greater interest in reading at home.

“We are happy to welcome these preschoolers and their families into the museum to spark their interest in reading,” Xanthi Gray, humanities educator at the museum said in a public statement. “We hope that offering them stimulating experiences with literacy here at the museum will translate into increased time spent reading at home.”

The Big World/Small World program is a project designed for elementary school students to explore their families’ heritage. Students will research their family history and then visit the museum to create their individual cultural stories, which will later be mounted as a museum exhibit.

“This program addresses an increasingly pressing challenge in New Hampshire to support vulnerable residents, including new immigrants,” Paula Rais, the museum’s director of Community Engagement said in a public statement. “Participation in this program catalyzes a deeper understanding of the fundamental similarities within the human experience, and jump-starts conversations about culture, identity, and diversity that build community.”